Turbo-generator system



Jan. l2, 1960 .1. RABlNow 2,920,568

TURBO-GENERATOR SYSTEM Filed Jan.` 3. 1952 4 Fig. 1

IN V EN TOR. du D Dh Rubin :1W

` TURBO-GENERATOR SYSTEM Ja'cob Rabinow, Takoma Park, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of `the Army Application January 3, 1952, Serial No. 264,824

1 Claim. (Cl. 102--70.2)

(Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to fast starting means for turbogenerators in rockets and the like.

An object of the invention is means for quick starting of electric generators in explosive missiles.

Another object of the invention is means for initially imparting rotation to a wind driven generator of an explosive missile launched in the stratosphere.

Another object of the invention is means for instantly energizing the turbo-generator system of an electric or electronic fuse upon firing or launching of an explosive missile incorporating the fuse.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal cross section of a rocket employing the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure l.

Under certain operating conditions fast starting of electric generators which supply energy to electric or electronic fuses in explosive missiles is imperative. In accordance with the invention, fast starting of a turbine driven generator is obtained by bleeding the gas pressure from the rocket motor and directing it against the blades of the turbine. This may be done in a variety of ways, one of which is shown in Figure l of the drawings, but it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the embodiment shown and described herein.

The embodiment shown in the drawings comprises a rocket 1 having a body member la with a nose 2 housing electronic components of the fuse therein as indicated by the rectangles 3 and 4. Fixed within the body member 1a adjacent the nose '2 is a propelling charge 6. A closure plug 7 in the forward end of the body member is recessed as at 8 and supports an electric generator 9 therein. A turbine 10 is coupled to the generator 9 by means of a shaft 11. One end of shaft 11 is supported in a cup-shaped member 12 which is aflixed to body 1a in any conventional manner. The opposite end of shaft 1i is supported in the closure plug 7. A duct 13 having one end fitted to a perforation 14 in the nose and its opposite end in an opening 17 in the forward face 7a of plug 7 provides communication with the atmosphere and channels and 16 formed in and extending through the plug.

The channels 15-16 are terminated in the rear face 7b of the plug by means of nozzles 18 and 19, respectively, directed towards the vanes lila of the turbine 10 so as to cause the air owing through the duct and channels to impinge upon the vanes and rotate the turbine during the rockets ight.

The bursting charge 20 positioned in the body member in a conventional manner, intermediate the propelling charge 6 and cup-shaped member 12, is formed with a Patented Jan. 12, 1960 longitudinal bore 21 in which is iixed a duct 22 terminating at one end in oppositely disposed arms 23--24 connected to nozzles 25-26 adjacent the turbine.10. The other end of duct 22 is in communication with chamber 6a housing the propelling charge 6. To protect the bursting charge from the heat generated by propelling charge, the duct 22 is provided with a heat insulating sleeve 27 and the opposite ends of the bursting charge with heat insulating disks 28 and 29.

When the rocket is tired, some of the high pressure gas generated by the propelling charge 6 is bled from chamber 6a through the duct 22 and caused to impinge upon the vanes 10a of the turbine 10 through nozzles 25 and 26 to bring the turbine and electric generator up to operating speed almost instantly. After the propelling charge has been exhausted, air passing through ducts 13, 15 and 16 impinges upon the vanes of the turbine to continue the rotation of the turbine and generator. Exhaust ports 30 formed by the rearward end of the plug and the closure member 12 are in alignment with ports 31 in the body member to permit exhaust of the high pressure gas bled from -the propelling charge and the air stream through ducts 13, 15 and 16 after these have acted upon the vanes 10a.

It will be apparent that the embodiment shown is only exemplary and that various modiiications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

An `ordnance rocket having improved turbogenerator means, said rocket comprising in combination: a rocket body having a nose, electronic fuze components housed within said nose, a closure plug in the forward end of said body adjacent said nose, said plug being recessed at its rearward end, an electric ygenerator supported in the recessed portion of said plug and adapted to provide power for said electronic components, a cup-shaped member atiixed to said body behind said generator, a turbine supported between said cup-shaped member and said generator, said turbine having vanes adapted to rotate in response to gas pressure impinging thereon, a shaft coupling said turbine to said generator, vone end of said shaft rotatably supported in said cup-shaped member and the other end rotatably supported in said plug, said nose having a duct with one end fitted to a perforation in the forward end of said nose and its opposite end in an opening in the lforward face of said plug, said plug having first and second channels extending therethrough, said duct providing communication with the air stream and said channels, rst and second diametrically opposed nozzles behind said plug in which said iirst and second channels are respectively terminated, said nozzles being directed towards the vanes of said turbine so as to cause the air owing through said duct and channels to impinge upon said vanes to cause rotation of said turbine during iiight of said rocket, a propelling charge housed in a chamber in the rear of said body, a bursting charge intermediate said cup-shaped member and the chamber housing said propelling charge, heat insulating discs located at opposite ends of said bursting charge, said bursting charge having a longitudinal duct therein, a heat insulating sleeve surrounding said longitudinal duct, one end of said longitudinal duct being in communication with the propelling charge chamber, and third and fourth diametrically opposed nozzles in front of said bursting charge in which the other end of said longitudinal duct terminates, said third and fourth nozzles being directed towards the vanes of said turbine so as to cause the high pressure gas generated by said propelling charge and forced through said longitudinal duct to said nozzles to impinge upon said vanes to cause rotation of said turaligned With said ports in said body so as lto permit vboth the high pressure gas of said propelling charge and the air from said air stream to be exhausted therethrough after impinging on the vanes of said turbine.

References Cited in the le of this `patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' Redding Jan. 4, 1949v Senn Apr. 26, 1949 Clapham e; July 3, 1951 Harcum v Feb. 5, 1952 

